WHAT IS THE PROGRAM ABOUT?
It is a bet that seeks to promote reading and writing as strategies of empowerment, diffusion of leadership, and construction of collective agendas from a network of reading and writing circles in the Pacific, Medellín, Cartagena, and Bogotá. The Laboratory of Black Narratives, introduces educational institutions, cultural organizations, organizations of youth groups, women's organizations, reading clubs and national organizations, to generate new stories about their leadership and advocacy processes, by reading the book “The Power of the Invisible” by Paula Moreno, and the acquisition of reading and writing tools.
The "Laboratory of Black Narratives" is the continuation of a broader literary proposal, which aims to ensure that the population of the Pacific coast and the black communities that have gained space in urban contexts such as Medellín, Cartagena, and Bogotá are integrated into the written culture of the country, through the construction and strengthening of a book ecosystem in the region and the development of reading and writing skills and abilities. Hence, it seeks to elevate reading and written production to the same level as other consolidated, recognized and highly valued artistic manifestations that predominate in the region.
Seeking to promote literacy as a strategy for empowerment and dissemination of leadership, the Visible Hands Corporation is proud to share the journey made in 2019 with its Black Narrative Laboratory program, carried out in Quibdó, Buenaventura, Tumaco, Norte del Cauca, Medellín, Cartagena, Cali, and Bogotá in the second semester of this year.
Find out more here and check out some moments in the different reading circles of our nodes nationwide:
NODO QUIBDÓ
NODO BUENAVENTURA
NODO TUMACO
NODO NORTE DEL CAUCA
NODO MEDELLÍN
This initiative seeks to generate new stories about their leadership processes and the acquisition of tools in literacy by reading the book “The Power of the Invisible”, by Paula Moreno, of which 5,000 copies were delivered as a donation to educational and cultural institutions of youth groups, women, and reading clubs in the cities that participated.
In the framework of all this we can tell you that we work with 5 library networks, with more than 150 MLK Scholars, more than 50 organizations, and 20 educational institutions. As part of the process, more than 100 reading circles were formed and consolidated, in which more than 2,000 (future) reading promoters who will be able to work with autonomous methodologies were very active.
The last chapter of this story took place in Bogotá, whose final session was the perfect occasion to make a donation of more than 1,520 books to the National Network of Public Libraries, an event that was attended by the director of the National Library, Diana Patricia Restrepo (video), from the coordinator of the IOM Inclusion for Peace Program, Dr. Hugo Tovar (video) by Paula Marcela Moreno, president of Visible Hands (video). In the end, the participants were able to attend a workshop carried out by Paula Moreno and thus become part of our group of new leaders who see in writing a power to transform realities. See here the greeting of one of our participants (video).
Our invitation for 2020 is that they remain connected because every text is a pretext to broaden the vision of empowerment, effective leadership and the role that written culture plays in the transformation of societies. We hope that you remain vigilant because from our commitment to Narrative Pacific Power we have many surprises for you, since in 2020, Visible Hands celebrates the round figure of ten years, a decade sowing seeds so that the fruits of creation are increasingly visible.
This initiative was given thanks to the alliance with the USAID Peace Inclusion Program (IPA), implemented by IOM Colombia.
